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THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - Personified Daughter Zion
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - Personified Daughter Zion
by SPCK - Newsom, Ringe and Lapsley
Personified Daughter Zion (Isaiah 47: 1-15; 49: 14 – 50: 3; 51: 17 – 52: 12; 54: 1-17) Babylon’s fall is imagined throughout Isaiah 41–48, climaxing in chapter 47, where Daughter Babylon herself is taunted. Once tender and delicate, she will now sit throneless in the dust. She wi…
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - Partners in a Heavenly Calling
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - Partners in a Heavenly Calling
by SPCK - Newsom, Ringe and Lapsley
Partners in a Heavenly Calling (Hebrews 1: 1- 4: 16) The first part, 1:1–4:16, focused on Jesus as Son of God and apostle, speaker from God to human beings, uses Scripture to compare “the son” to both the angels (1:1–2:4) and Moses (3:1–6)…
The Women's Bible Commentary - Re-creation of Land and People
The Women's Bible Commentary - Re-creation of Land and People
by SPCK - Newsom, Ringe and Lapsley
Re-creation of Land and people In chapters 36 and 37 God acts not just to renew Israel and the land, but to re-create them entirely. Chapter 36 has the re-creation of both people (36:26–27) and land (36:1–15, 35) in view, whereas 37:1–14 famously focuses on the rebirth of the peo…
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - Sapphira
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - Sapphira
by SPCK - Newsom, Ringe and Lapsley
Sapphira Sapphira’s story is perhaps the ideal example of the competing interpretative stances promoted by Luke’s narrative. Reading darkly, that is, from those without power or privilege, Sapphira’s story illustrates a divine option for a community in which there are no class di…
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - Sexual Immorality and Lawsuits
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - Sexual Immorality and Lawsuits
by SPCK - Newsom, Ringe and Lapsley
Sexual Immorality and Lawsuits (1 Corinthians 5-6) Paul closes the preceding section by offering the Corinthians a choice: “What would you prefer? Am I to come to you with a stick, or with love in a spirit of gentleness?” (4:21). Underscoring that choice, the next section opens w…
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - Sex and Spirituality
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - Sex and Spirituality
by SPCK - Newsom, Ringe and Lapsley
Sex and Spirituality (1 Corinthians 7: 1-40) Paul begins here to respond to the issues the Corinthians raised in their earlier letter. His obvious concern in this chapter, to present arguments that are balanced in their treatment of women and men, is striking…
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - Status, Power, and Children: The Story of Hannah
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - Status, Power, and Children: The Story of Hannah
by SPCK - Newsom, Ringe and Lapsley
Status, Power, and Children: The Story of Hannah (1 Samuel 1-2) The books of Samuel begin with the story of the birth of a son to a woman previously childless. According to the narrative, Hannah, the favored wife of Elkanah, has no children, because YHWH has “closed her womb.” Ha…
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - Status Negotiations
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - Status Negotiations
by SPCK - Newsom, Ringe and Lapsley
Status Negotiations (2 Corinthian 1-7) These chapters are exceedingly difficult, with abrupt changes in tone and interrupted trains of thought. Even in sections where the subject matter remains fairly constant, sentences are repetitive, convoluted, at times almost incoherent. Whe…
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - The Apostle as Nurse
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - The Apostle as Nurse
by SPCK - Newsom, Ringe and Lapsley
The Apostle as Nurse (Deuteronomy 32: 1- 34: 12) In chapter 2, Paul again ties the experience of persecution to believers’ identity in God and Christ. Paul recounts his and his companions’ struggles in Philippi and quickly asserts that it did not hinder their mission to the Thess…
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - The Golden Calf and Its Aftermath
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - The Golden Calf and Its Aftermath
by SPCK - Newsom, Ringe and Lapsley
The Golden Calf and Its Aftermath (Exodus 31: 18-34: 35) For forty days and forty nights Moses is on Mount Sinai, where he receives instructions from YHWH (24:18). The text does not specify how much time has elapsed, but during this time, the people approach Aaron and ask him to …
The Women's Bible Commentary - The Downfall of Haman and the Triumph of Esther
The Women's Bible Commentary - The Downfall of Haman and the Triumph of Esther
by SPCK - Newsom, Ringe and Lapsley
The Downfall of Haman and the Triumph of Esther The central section of the book chronicles the rise and fall of the royal favorite, Haman the Agagite, and the actions of Esther that bring about his downfall and save the Jews of the Persian Empire. In this section we witness Esthe…
The Women's Bible Commentary - The House of David and the House of Saul
The Women's Bible Commentary - The House of David and the House of Saul
by SPCK - Newsom, Ringe and Lapsley
The House of David and the House of Saul At the end of 1 Samuel, Saul and three of his sons are killed in battle. Second Samuel begins with David’s reaction to the deaths of Saul and his sons…
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - The Incarnation
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - The Incarnation
by SPCK - Newsom, Ringe and Lapsley
The Incarnation (John 1) The classic statement of 1:14 (my trans.), “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us and we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth,” establishes the incarnation theme. It is further amplified by 1:1…
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - The Infancy Narrative
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - The Infancy Narrative
by SPCK - Newsom, Ringe and Lapsley
Book II (Psalms 42-72) Book II of the Psalter, like Book I, contains many lament psalms. But unlike Book I, not all of the psalms are attributed to David. The Korahites, who were, according to the book of Chronicles, temple singers during the reigns of David and Solomon, mix thei…
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - The Sermon on the Mount
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - The Sermon on the Mount
by SPCK - Newsom, Ringe and Lapsley
The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5: 1- 7: 29) Beatitudes and Antitheses. Matthew’s Gospel offers five teaching discourses: the Sermon on the Mount (5:1–7:29); missionary instructions (10:1–42); parables concerning the kingdom (Gk. basileia) of heaven (13:1–53); church guidelines …
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - The True Circumcision
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - The True Circumcision
by SPCK - Newsom, Ringe and Lapsley
“The True Circumcision” (Phil. 3:3) In his passionate plea to watch out for opponents of the gospel (3:2–3), particularly any possible opponents who preach the necessity of circumcision, Paul prepares the Philippians to counter false teaching (literally, “the mutilation,” 3:2) by…
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - The Ten Virgins
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - The Ten Virgins
by SPCK - Newsom, Ringe and Lapsley
The Ten Virgins: (Matthew 25: 1-13) Unique to Matthew, the parable of the Ten “Bridesmaids” (NRSV; literally, “virgins”; Gk. parthenoi) continues the Gospel’s concern for women at the final judgment (cf. 24:19, 41). The women may be wedding guests or, more likely, servants waitin…
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - Woman Power against the Heroic Oppressor?